2.  Significant increases in health care costs  Average Family health insurance policy: $13,375; Single: $4,824 (USA Today, 2009) › 5% increase from 2008; Wages only rose 3% during same time period › From 1999-2009 health care costs have seen a 131% increase  Several businesses providing health care have passed more of the increase in cost on to employees

3.  2009, 1.5 million Americans declared bankruptcy. Of those, 62% were medically related (3/4 had insurance)  Sample health care policy: › Employer pays 80% › Employee pays 20% › Heart Transplant costs $148,000 (average) – you pay 20%!!!  Nearly 2/3 of Americans agree that current health care system is broken

4.  To make health insurance more available & affordable (lower premiums)  Prevent health insurance companies from kicking you off the policy when sick  Prevent health care companies from discriminating against those with pre- existing conditions (or charging high rates)  Stop bankruptcy from medical ailments  Can stay on parents’ health care until 26

5.  Requires everyone to purchase health insurance; if not, penalty (fine) – Individual Mandate › Estimate that around 46 million Americans without health insurance  Addition of millions more to Medicaid › Who pays for Medicaid? – Taxpayers  Forcing everyone to buy health care is going to reduce the overall quality of care available (longer waiting times, etc.)  Tax breaks for middle/lower class to make health care more affordable

6.  Which parts of the law do you agree/have a problem with?  Should the government have the ability to require people to buy health insurance who are not covered by an employer or the government (Is it constitutional)?  Should the government be allowed to charge penalties for those who do not purchase it?  Should their be limits on how much medical procedures cost or how much physicians can charge?